The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-04-14
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Important Discussion Upon tha Work OF
Superintendent a I'd Teachers.
Is the Work Of Education Being Properly
Conducted In the Canton schOOls2--
Remarks of Clark, MoGregOr
and SuPt. Lehman.

Treasurer HRTteT submitted his regu-
lar report Of the condition Of the
q Rnces.
Upon motion Of Barlet $1,000 was al.
lowe Jam, Cam bell, the High School
contractor, Oh account.
.iahlnden, Of Committee on Supplies,
re- ported The puTcha.e fr the High
ScuCOl amounting TO $3575; adopted.
Bill OF A. Q ann WAS, upon motion OF
McGrt gOr, reierred to Repair Commit
tee.
Request to allow Alice Pollock to at
tend tue central INSTEAD of lhe East
Fifth street school, Oh account of deaf
ness, which made IL dangerous for her
to cross the Connection railroad, was
upon motion Of Cool, granted.
Aiam Goodman was allowed $40 for
services ~ j4uliOr for the past year.
n Building Ommittee recommend
ed that the County Board Of ScGOOl Ex-
aminers be allow ed to use a room OF
rooms III he CenlI Ill SchOO for holding
the examination o. teachers, providing
thp Board Ill D y the janitOr 81 per
room for each tXAmlI alton; adopted.
Committee Oh Teachers and Salaries
recommended the appointment OF John
SarVer az principal of the North Cherry
street school, to succeed Mr.. Dlsler, de-
ceased; adopted.
Blla aggTegaliug $3,614O4 we're al
lowed.
Clark moved that 500 be expended
In fitting up the ladies' toilet room In
the central school building; referred to
Committee on Buildings with power to
Aot.
Application of R. A. Townsend for pc
sitiOn as teacher, was referred to Com
mlttee on Teachers.
AN IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.
Gesswein had c, mp .lu ON par
ents who had children at Canton schools,
to the effect that small children were
kept In the same room much beyond
the time when they should pass out to
higher rooms. This called for an ex-
PLANTATION from the superintendent, who
stated that the same course was pre-
scribed for all schools OF same grade,
and that they should all come on to-
gether. This resulted In general dis
cussion of the subject of teaching, In
which the superintendent, McGreg0r
and Clark participated at some length.
MIR. Clark argued that teachers were en-
ployed 10 teach; that their emp Oyment
warranted the expectation that they
could teach, and that the superintendent
was pmploye not to teach, but to su-
pervise the teaching, and see thatit was
uOuv III a thorough and competent man
ner. He said, In substance, year after
year teachers are employed and re en-
plOyed on the recommendation OF the
committee. by the advice Of the super
In nd N fhA
superintendent makes reports, and al
ways to the effect that the teachers are
doing good work. Sometimes COM
plants come In. Then the Board refers
to the superintendent, and we have a
repetition of the hackneyed phrase, do
ing good work." and the Board, in the
interest If supreme authority, sustsins
the teacher, and SO matters run on. He
referred to the fact that In three years,
In cOrps of from so to rs teachers, the
good W rk" report had worked such
wonders, that to his recollection only
one teacher had been discontinued. He
also referred to tbe fact hat so great
we're the evils resulting from manifest
jncapacity and unfitness Of Canton
teachers, that at the end of school
year not a single child would go by pro-
motion from his or her school. Mr..
Clark was pretty severe on the superin.
tendent, and In effect charged that
everybody, whether connected with the
schools or not, would have knowledge
OF defects and deficiencies In teachers
and the conduct of schools, except the
superintendent.
Mr.. McGregOr liked free speech and
certainly Mr., Clark had spoken freely,
He realized that something more than
fine buildings were necessary to give US
good schools. Good teachers were Inn
pOrtRnt. The trouble was our market
was not remarkably we'll supplied with
q superior article. Our superintendent
had recommended q training depart
ment to qualify our teachers, thus ad-
mltting th6 lack Of qualification. 1t Is
a startling fact that our boys generally
leave school for good before they have
more than a smattering Of the three Re-.
For years past few boys have been grad
uated from our High School, some years
not one. Even nGw there are twice as
many girls as boys in the High School.
All this shows something wrong in ths
system or in the management. The prac
tioe IN mauy Of the grammar schools 10
require pupils to get their Lessons at
home aud cgme to school In
the mornlng with their lessons prepared
was not tho thing at all. Not all pupils
had help at home and 1t was discOurag-
ing for such and calculated to disgust
them with school, Besides, this brain
forcing was not advisable, Five or six
hours day in school was enough aud
the teacher should teach for that was
the teachers mission. He knew not
what right teacher had to require his
pupils to 60 home to get their lessons.
The trouble was our schools are run on
the college plan aud the results are ao-
GOrdingly.
The chair made some remarks on his
idea of the matter which was In effect
that the responsibility rested with the
Committee on Teachers and the S0perin
tendent, and as h. knew the committee
to be good one, If tie superintendent
did not do his duty the Board had better
get an0thtr one. But as usual with 100
many members Of Boards Of Education
whenever any discussion arises which
has for its object the finding of faults
and eradication of evils, he thought the
matter had better he dropped.
But the matter " IS no. dropped Mr.. |
Lehman spoke in his oWn jus ificatiOn. |
He iDtimated that he hsd not uniformly
reported good we:k" frOd teachera;
that he had frequently called attention
of the Board to the necessity of estab. |
fishing training schools (D to instruct |
teachers In their duties, and that 1t was
q late day now to make complaint at |
the end Of a school year when no com.
plants had previously been made. Mr.. |
Clark, interrupting: docs the Superin-
tendent claim no complaints have here
tOfore been madep call to witness this |
Dnawd oP EdunafInn anH fha rant nm II